“Apparently, the defendant wanted to get off . . . the plane, so he opened the emergency exit door,” Queens DA Richard Brown said. “Fortunately, members of the flight crew were able to stop him before he could fully open the door and deploy the emergency chute.”

There was no indication that McDonald was drunk, authorities said. Rain had delayed the flight, from England to Las Vegas with a Kennedy layover. McDonald managed to crack the door open, but then a crew member stepped in to stop him.

McDonald was released yesterday on his own recognizance. He is due back in court May 18, and faces a year in jail if convicted on the misdemeanor charges.